Revision of the genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) on Balkan peninsula

Osolike muve predstavljaju veliku familiju dvokrilaca koja u ekosistemu ima važnu ulogu oprašivača biljaka i razlaganja organske materije. One su takođe dobar indikator narušenosti ekosistema.  Stoga je poznavanje njihove taksonomije i ekologije od izuzetnog značaja. Jedan od tri najbrojnija roda osolikih muva  predstavlja rod Eumerus, čija revizija na Balkanskom poluostrvu je predmet ove disertacije. Balkansko poluostrvo predstavlja izuzetan centar raznovrsnosti živog sveta, između ostalih familija i za osolike muve. Za rod Eumerus, ono je pored Srednje Azije i Južne Afrike, jedan od centara specijacije.Predstavnici roda Eumerus su uglavnom sitnije crne muve, ponekad sa crvenim trbuhom. Karakterišu ih bele poprašene  trake na tergitima, dva reda trnova na metafemuru  apikoventralno i uvučena gornja spoljašnja poprečna vena na  krilu, često sa dva kratka ispusta na ispupčenoj strani, okrenuta ka spolja. Cilj ove disertacije bio je utvrđivanje tačnog broja  vrsta na Balkanskom poluostrvu i razrešavanje njihove  taksonomije. Kao rezultat, utvrđeno je 44 prisutne vrste na  istraživanom području koje su na osnovu morfološke sličnosti  podeljene u deset grupa. Tri utvrđene vrste ne pripadaju  nijednoj grupi. U toku ovog istraživanja otkriveno je 12 vrsta novih za nauku: E. aurofinis, E. banaticus, in litt., E.   bicornis  , in  litt.,  E. crassus ,  E. kar yates , in li tt., E. montanum, E.   montenegr inus, E.  nigrorufus, in litt., E. phaeacus, in litt.,  E. rubrum, E. tenuitarsis , in litt. i E. torsicus. Geometrijska morfometrija krila je d ala odlične rezultate za razdvajanje  kriptičnih taksona u okviru roda Eumerus, primenjena na  vrstama grupe minotaurus. Utvrđeni su najznačajniji morfološki karakteri za razlikovanje vrsta. Jedan od veoma  značajnih rezultata ove disertacije je ključ za identifikaciju  vrsta roda Eumerus na Balkanskom poluostrvu. Na osnovu morfološke analize donet je zaključak da tricolor grupa  predstavlja morfološki zasebnu taksonomsku celinu sa jasnim  indicijama da je njen rang iznad grupe vrsta. Centre diverziteta  vrsta roda Eumerus na istraživanom području predstavljaju, prema bogastvu vrsta grčka ostrva Lezbos i Krf i jugoistočni  deo Crne Gore uključujući Skadarsko jezero. Na osnovu Šenonovog indeksa diverziteta, područja sa najvećim indeksom su sledeća: ostrva Hios, Lezbos i Krf, zatim Peloponez i veći  deo Crne Gore.Hoverflies represents a large family of Diptera that have in the ecosystem an important role of pollinators and decomposer of organic matter. They are also a good indicator of ecosystem disruption. Therefore, knowledge of their taxonomy and ecology is of great importance. One of the three most numerous genus of hoverflies is the genus Eumerus, whose revision in the Balkan Peninsula is the subject of this dissertation. The Balkan Peninsula is an exceptional center of biodiversity, for  hoverflies among other families. For the genus  Eumerus, Balkan Peninsula is next to  Central Asia and South Africa, one of the centers of speciation. Representatives of the genus  Eumerus  are mostly small black flies, sometimes with red abdomen. They are characterized by white stripes on the tergites, two rows of spines on the metafemur apico-ventrally and recessed upper outer transverse wing vein. The aim of  this dissertation was to determine the number of species on the Balkan  Peninsula and to resolve their taxonomy. As a result, 44 species were identified in the investigated area, which are divided into ten groups based on the  morphological similarity. The three species identified do not belong to any group. In the course of this study, 12 new species were discovered for the science:  E. aurofinis, E. banaticus, in litt.,  E. bicornis, in litt.,  E. crassus,  E. karyates, in litt.,  E. montanum,  E. montenegrinus,  E. nigrorufus, in litt.,  E. phaeacus, in litt.,  E. rubrum, E. tenuitarsis, in litt. and  E. torsicus. The geometric  morphometry of the wings gave excellent results for the separation of cryptic taxons within the genus  Eumerus, applied to the species of the  minotaurus  group. The most important morphological characters for differentiating species were determined. One of the very important results of this dissertation is the identification key for species of the genus  Eumerus  on the Balkan Peninsula. Based on morphological analysis, conclusion is that the tricolor  group represents a morphologically separate taxonomic entity with clear indications that its rank is above a group of species. The centers of diversity of the genus  Eumerus  in the research area represent, according to the species richness of the Greek island of Lesbos and Corfu and the southeastern  part of Montenegro including the Skadar Lake. Based on the Shannon’s Diversity Index, the areas with the highest index are as follows: the islands of Hios, Lesbos and Corfu, then Peloponnese and most of Montenegro

Revision of the genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) on Balkan peninsula

Osolike muve predstavljaju veliku familiju dvokrilaca koja u ekosistemu ima važnu ulogu oprašivača biljaka i razlaganja organske materije. One su takođe dobar indikator narušenosti ekosistema.  Stoga je poznavanje njihove taksonomije i ekologije od izuzetnog značaja. Jedan od tri najbrojnija roda osolikih muva  predstavlja rod Eumerus, čija revizija na Balkanskom poluostrvu je predmet ove disertacije. Balkansko poluostrvo predstavlja izuzetan centar raznovrsnosti živog sveta, između ostalih familija i za osolike muve. Za rod Eumerus, ono je pored Srednje Azije i Južne Afrike, jedan od centara specijacije.Predstavnici roda Eumerus su uglavnom sitnije crne muve, ponekad sa crvenim trbuhom. Karakterišu ih bele poprašene  trake na tergitima, dva reda trnova na metafemuru  apikoventralno i uvučena gornja spoljašnja poprečna vena na  krilu, često sa dva kratka ispusta na ispupčenoj strani, okrenuta ka spolja. Cilj ove disertacije bio je utvrđivanje tačnog broja  vrsta na Balkanskom poluostrvu i razrešavanje njihove  taksonomije. Kao rezultat, utvrđeno je 44 prisutne vrste na  istraživanom području koje su na osnovu morfološke sličnosti  podeljene u deset grupa. Tri utvrđene vrste ne pripadaju  nijednoj grupi. U toku ovog istraživanja otkriveno je 12 vrsta novih za nauku: E. aurofinis, E. banaticus, in litt., E.   bicornis  , in  litt.,  E. crassus ,  E. kar yates , in li tt., E. montanum, E.   montenegr inus, E.  nigrorufus, in litt., E. phaeacus, in litt.,  E. rubrum, E. tenuitarsis , in litt. i E. torsicus. Geometrijska morfometrija krila je d ala odlične rezultate za razdvajanje  kriptičnih taksona u okviru roda Eumerus, primenjena na  vrstama grupe minotaurus. Utvrđeni su najznačajniji morfološki karakteri za razlikovanje vrsta. Jedan od veoma  značajnih rezultata ove disertacije je ključ za identifikaciju  vrsta roda Eumerus na Balkanskom poluostrvu. Na osnovu morfološke analize donet je zaključak da tricolor grupa  predstavlja morfološki zasebnu taksonomsku celinu sa jasnim  indicijama da je njen rang iznad grupe vrsta. Centre diverziteta  vrsta roda Eumerus na istraživanom području predstavljaju, prema bogastvu vrsta grčka ostrva Lezbos i Krf i jugoistočni  deo Crne Gore uključujući Skadarsko jezero. Na osnovu Šenonovog indeksa diverziteta, područja sa najvećim indeksom su sledeća: ostrva Hios, Lezbos i Krf, zatim Peloponez i veći  deo Crne Gore.Hoverflies represents a large family of Diptera that have in the ecosystem an important role of pollinators and decomposer of organic matter. They are also a good indicator of ecosystem disruption. Therefore, knowledge of their taxonomy and ecology is of great importance. One of the three most numerous genus of hoverflies is the genus Eumerus, whose revision in the Balkan Peninsula is the subject of this dissertation. The Balkan Peninsula is an exceptional center of biodiversity, for  hoverflies among other families. For the genus  Eumerus, Balkan Peninsula is next to  Central Asia and South Africa, one of the centers of speciation. Representatives of the genus  Eumerus  are mostly small black flies, sometimes with red abdomen. They are characterized by white stripes on the tergites, two rows of spines on the metafemur apico-ventrally and recessed upper outer transverse wing vein. The aim of  this dissertation was to determine the number of species on the Balkan  Peninsula and to resolve their taxonomy. As a result, 44 species were identified in the investigated area, which are divided into ten groups based on the  morphological similarity. The three species identified do not belong to any group. In the course of this study, 12 new species were discovered for the science:  E. aurofinis, E. banaticus, in litt.,  E. bicornis, in litt.,  E. crassus,  E. karyates, in litt.,  E. montanum,  E. montenegrinus,  E. nigrorufus, in litt.,  E. phaeacus, in litt.,  E. rubrum, E. tenuitarsis, in litt. and  E. torsicus. The geometric  morphometry of the wings gave excellent results for the separation of cryptic taxons within the genus  Eumerus, applied to the species of the  minotaurus  group. The most important morphological characters for differentiating species were determined. One of the very important results of this dissertation is the identification key for species of the genus  Eumerus  on the Balkan Peninsula. Based on morphological analysis, conclusion is that the tricolor  group represents a morphologically separate taxonomic entity with clear indications that its rank is above a group of species. The centers of diversity of the genus  Eumerus  in the research area represent, according to the species richness of the Greek island of Lesbos and Corfu and the southeastern  part of Montenegro including the Skadar Lake. Based on the Shannon’s Diversity Index, the areas with the highest index are as follows: the islands of Hios, Lesbos and Corfu, then Peloponnese and most of Montenegro

Two new European long-legged hoverfly species of the Eumerus binominatus species subgroup (Diptera, Syrphidae)

Eumerus Meigen (Diptera, Syrphidae) is one of the most speciose hoverfly genera in Europe, with several species groups recognized within. As part of the tricolor group of species, a subgroup of long-legged representatives stands out. We name it Eumerus binominatus subgroup and provide descriptions for two new European species which belong to this subgroup: E. grallator sp. nov. from mainland Spain and E. tenuitarsis sp. nov. from Lesvos and Evros, Greece. A key for all five recognized species of the binominatus subgroup is provided

New records for the wild bee fauna (Hymenoptera, Anthophila) of Serbia

Numerous scientific projects have been initiated with the aim of tackling the decline in insect pollinators, a crucial group for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. One of the first steps is to address information gaps on species spatial distribution, diversity, and abundance that prevent effective conservation actions in Europe. Given that Serbia belongs to the understudied areas, efforts are being made to improve knowledge of its bee diversity and abundance. The present study includes the monitoring of bees at 54 sites, surveyed three times during 2022. The conducted protocol combined two methods, transect walks and pan traps, resulting in the discovery of 312 bee species. The main results present the records of 25 species, not previously mentioned in Serbia, while another important finding is the confirmation of the presence of 26 species, without any available records from the 21st century. Moreover, 79 here examined species were known only from literature-based data. Six of the recorded species are considered threatened and 67 (10 newly recorded) have been assessed as Data Deficient in the European Red List of Bees. Therefore, the present study not only contributes to an update and confirms the list of bee species in Serbia, that now counts 731 species, but also provides additional information about European distribution, required for new assessment at the European level. In addition, the results indicate that the combination of complementary sampling methods is an effective way to assess bee diversity and abundance

Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Europe, inferred from morphological and molecular data with descriptions of three new species

With more than 300 described species, the genus Eumerus is one of the largest genera of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae). In this paper, we define the Eumerus bactrianus subgroup and revise the subgroup in Europe for the first time, providing an illustrated key for its European species. We describe three new species: E. banaticus Nedeljković, Grković & Vujić n.sp. from Serbia and Romania- E. bicornis Grković, Vujić & Hayat n.sp. from Greece and Turkey- and E. bifurcatus van Steenis & Hauser n.sp. from Spain. Species of this subgroup exhibit a distinctive apomorphic morphological feature, i.e. the bifurcated posterior surstylus. We discuss the distributions of seven Palaearctic species of this subgroup: E. bactrianus Stackelberg, 1952, E. pannonicus Ricarte, Vujić & Radenković, 2016, E. turanicola Stackelberg, 1952, E. turanicus Stackelberg, 1952, and three species described here. Molecular species delimitation, which strongly supports our morphological results, is based on maximum parsimony analysis of mitochondrial COI sequences